A Raven's Farewell
by PaigeyD93
Summary: Itachi's days were limited. The disease that was coursing through his body these past few years had taken its toll. According to Sakura, his secret lover, he had two weeks left to live. What happens when Itachi leaves to fight Sasuke and plans on not making it out alive. Will Sakura show up in time to save him? Or will she be too late? And what will happen afterwards?
1. Itachi's Decision

**So I'm back! haha this idea kind of just came to me and I couldn't get it outta my head. This will ONLY be 2 chapters purely because I needed to separate them. I will explain in the next chapter in the A/N there. I'****m hoping I can post the next one either tonight or tomorrow. No later than tomorrow I promise. **

**I hope you enjoy this o.e I worked hard on it! lol**

**Thank you for all your help Li. Chan93!**

**I don't own Naruto or it's characters sadly.**

**Anyways enjoy! :) I hope I don't disappoint.**

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Prologue: Itachi's decision

As quiet as he could Itachi slipped out of bed and made his way across the room. He silently slipped his clothes on before pulling the Akatsuki cloak over his shoulders and pushing his arms through it. His chest hurt and he knew it wasn't just from the painful disease he had been suffering through for a couple years now, no this was different. He glanced over to the bed and frowned. His heart hurt. She looked so peaceful. He knew this was hard on her. She had been stressing over him for the past six months, doing everything in her power to make his journey to an untimely death as smooth and painless as possible. She was an amazing medical ninja and overall strong shinobi. Those were only two of the many reasons he had fallen in love with her.

Love. Such a loaded word. It always baffled him how one word could hold so much meaning. Itachi never thought he could ever love like this again. He had gone almost his entire life up until this point being seen as a traitor, murderer and a heartless man who killed every one of his family members all those years ago. He had resigned himself to a lonely life and eventual death at the hand of his brother.

Then she came along. She came and turned his whole world on its head. She _loved _him. She loved him for who he was inside and not the image everyone painted him as, and because of that he had opened up to her. The illness that was currently eating away at his life was incurable and she knew that. Even though she knew he was going to die she still stuck by him and eased his pain in any way she could.

Even after all she had done for him he was going to crush her, he hated himself for it. He loved her, that was for sure, but he loved his brother even more. His brother needed to be the one to kill him, it couldn't be another way.

He scrawled a small letter to Sakura and laid it on top of his pillow where he knew she would see it upon waking up. Leaning down he placed a soft kiss against her temple; inhaling her flowery scent one last time while being sure not to wake her up. He couldn't handle that right now, this was hard enough as it is. With a small last glance at the beautiful pink haired woman he would be forever thankful to he left the inn in search of his brother with a heavy heart.

Itachi had been keeping tabs on his little brother's location and knew exactly where he was. He took his time making his way to the area Sasuke was. While walking he began to recall the many memories Sakura and him had shared over the past year.

_***Flashback Start***_

Itachi felt a smile curve his lips when a familiar chakra signature walked through the door of the inn he was in. He stood from the bed when he heard her footsteps approach the room he was located in. The doorknob jiggled as she grasped and turned it. His stomach erupted in an excited flutter as the door opened and her beautiful face came into his view. She glanced up and upon seeing his happy expression let her own smile take over her face. Without a thought she propelled herself forward with a childish squeal and launched herself into his waiting arms.

He hugged her to his body tightly as an odd feeling of relief washed over him. He was overwhelmingly comforted to have her safe in his arms again. This feeling was foreign and confusing to him but not unwelcome. All confusing thoughts left his mind the moment her small hands weaved their way into his dark hair and her pouty pink lips molded to his own in a desperate kiss. He began to move backward while pulling her with him. The back of his legs hit the mattress and he tumbled to the bed. She fell lightly on top of him while breaking the kiss. She leaned away from him slightly and gazed into his dark eyes.

"God I missed you so much." She murmured quietly. He lifted one of his hands to run his fingertips down one side of her face lightly. Instead of answering her he pulled her down to him and captured her lips again. He was never good with words to express his feelings so he poured every things he wished he could say into that kiss and hoped she read it loud and clear.

That was the night he knew he loved her.

0000

"That's the entire truth." Itachi finished. He hadn't noticed the way his grip had tightened on her throughout his entire confession. He was naturally nervous. He had kept the secret of that night quiet for so long it felt like he was breaking this sort of unspoken rule by telling the pink haired woman in his arms. What scared him the most was how wholeheartedly he trusted her with this information. She was in a position to break everything he had so meticulously put into place his entire life since the night of the Uchiha clan massacre.

Her silence stretched on making Itachi's heart begin to beat faster, would she believe him? He had never lied to her before but she didn't know that. Suddenly the arms wrapped around his sides tightened and Sakura buried her face into the side of his chest. Itachi was shocked to feel a warm wetness drip onto his skin where her face was and he loosened his grip. Grasping her shoulders he pushed her back to get a good look at her face.

Sakura's eyes were tear filled and her bottom lip trembled sadly. After she sniffed she raised her right hand toward her face as if to wipe away the rapidly falling tears. Without thinking Itachi leaned in and brushed the salty water away with his thumbs before laying a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Sakura, why are you crying?" He asked genuinely confused.

"I can't believe it. Why would they do that to you!?" She cried suddenly pulling away from him and standing from the bed before she began to pace the room. "You were 13 for gods' sake and they made you kill your entire family!" she paused in her movement and furiously wiped away the remaining tears before giving Itachi a determined look "I'm leaving the village. I won't stay in a place that would do that to someone. It's not right." Itachi's eyes widened at what she was saying.

"Don't be foolish, Sakura." He said his voice low and gaze steady.

"Why shouldn't I leave!?" She asked getting angry over the entire situation. "I could just come with you, stay with you wherever you go."

"No!" Itachi yelled suddenly on his feet in front of her. His underwear clad form towered over her suddenly, the famous Uchiha glare firmly set in place as he looked down at her. Sakura resisted the effects of the glare and stood tall returning his expression with a defiant one of her own.

"Give me one good reason why not?" She grumbled. "Do you not want me to be with you more often?" she asked cursing the way her voice weakened slightly at her own traitorous thoughts. Maybe he didn't feel the same about her that she did him. Had she read him wrong? Itachi sighed harshly making Sakura glance up. His face had softened slightly and his eyes betrayed the hurt in him that he was trying to hide.

"No, Sakura. It's not that I don't want you with me. I simply refuse to bring you anywhere near one of the Akatsuki hideouts. A place full of hardened criminals is not a place I want you to be in." he said truthfully. He turned his head away from her not wanting her to see the raw emotions in his eyes. Even though she was the only one to ever get to see him in this state he didn't enjoy flaunting his fears and insecurities in front of her, he still had his pride.

Itachi felt a small hand caressing his left cheek before pulling his face toward her.

"Itachi..."

"Please Sakura, stay in the village. I can't bear to see you as a rogue ninja like me. You have a life in Konoha please don't abandon that because of this new knowledge I have granted you. If I had of known it would sway your feelings toward the village I never would have told you-"

"Stop, please don't regret telling me, Itachi. I'm relieved you feel like you can trust me enough."

"Prove to me you won't betray that trust and stay in the village. Even though I have no right to request such a thing; stay, for me?" she cupped both sides of his face and stood on her tip toes in an effort to get closer to him. She brushed her lips softly over his.

"Okay, I'll stay. For you, I will stay." She said her breath tickling his lips. One of his hands made its way into her hair and he kissed her with a little more force before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers.

"Thank you." He whispered with a small smile curving his lips.

_***Flashback end***_

Itachi was violently ripped from his memories as his body convulsed with a series of wet sounding coughs. He braced himself against a tree with one hand and covered his mouth with the other. Once the painful coughs subsided Itachi noticed the warm wet feeling that covered his hand. He looked down and grimaced. A decent layer of blood coated his hand and dripped down between his fingers. He needed to hurry. Sakura said he had two weeks left to live but he was seriously doubting he would have lasted that long. He needed Sasuke to kill him today, and no later.

His pace quickened as he wiped away the blood on his clothes underneath his cloak. Part of him wished he had let Sakura give him a treatment for the pain last night but not doing so would give Sasuke even more of an advantage. His little brother still wasn't strong enough to take him at full strength but time was running out.


	2. A Child's Request

**Here is the second part :) the italics signify the future and regular font is Sakura telling the story :) hope that isn't confusing.**

**The chapters needed to be separated because one was in Itachi's point of view and the other is Sakura's. **

**I don't own Naruto.**

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Part two: A Child's Request

_"Mother?" __Rikō spoke as he absently tore blades of grass from the ground, the dirt gathering under his short fingernails. Sakura looked up from her scroll she had been reading quietly to address her fifteen year old son. His wavy black hair swayed in the breeze of the beautiful summer day and his black eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity as he looked at her. She could never fully get used to how similar __Rikō looked to _him_. The only feature he truly inherited from her was her small lips, damned forehead and at times her temper. The rest all seemed to be him._

_"Yes, __Rikō?" She asked turning her body towards him giving him her full attention._

_"Tell me the story about dad again?" he asked looking down at the clumps of grass in his hands as he awaited an answer. Sakura smiled fondly before sighing_

_"Just about him? Or do you want to hear the entire story again?"_

_"The entire story, please." he answered throwing away what was in his hands to turn toward his mother._

_"Okay…" she said getting comfortable "You know where I usually begin right? This part is never happy." She said sadly before beginning the story…._

0000

The sun's rays peeked through the semi shut curtains of the room as the fog of sleep slowly lifted from Sakura's mind. She instinctively reached over to her lover's side of the bed only to find it empty and cold. Her eyes snapped open half expecting him to be sitting at the table across the room but the room was empty. Dread began to gather in the pit of her stomach when she realized his clothes were gone too along with his Akatsuki cloak. He never wore the cloak when they were together because he didn't want people to affiliate him with the organization while he was off duty.

'_Did this mean he went out on a mission?_' Sakura asked herself silently. '_No, he would have told me instead of leaving without a word. Not to mention he is in no condition to do anything.'_ She thought again before pulling herself up and out of bed. She quickly gathered her clothes and put them on letting herself worry over the wellbeing of Itachi. They had skipped the treatment for his pain yesterday at his request after he insisted he felt fine. Surely he wouldn't be feeling the greatest today and Sakura cursed herself for not forcing it on him anyway. She suddenly found herself remembering the first treatment she had given Itachi only a month after they had started their secret meetings.

***Flashback Starts***

"Please let me check you over?" Sakura pleaded with the dark haired man sitting on the edge of the bed at the inn they were staying at. Itachi sighed and thought it over.

"It's no use, Sakura I've lived with this for over a year now, I know it's not curable." He argued hoping she would just drop it. She gave him a small glare as a response before crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"Are you a medic?" She asked raising a delicate pink brow in question. He looked at her in the eyes contemplating whether or not to argue further or just let her check him over.

"No but-"

"Then lay back, please." She said interrupting him. He did roll his eyes this time, she was so bossy. She pressed one of his shoulders to lightly push him back into the bed. She opened the Akatsuki cloak and pushed it away from his chest. She then made him remove his navy blue top so he was only left in the mesh undershirt. Her hands hovered over his chest as green chakra glowed from them. "This may feel weird, just try not to move." She instructed before placing her hands against his chest.

She heard his breath hitch slightly when her chakra entered his body. She manoeuvred around his organs and her eyes widened when they got to his lungs. Clearly this is where the disease started and continued to thrive. After further inspection Sakura concluded that Itachi was right. This was incurable and would eventually kill him. The thought of Itachi dying made Sakura's heart hurt. Even though they had only just met a month ago she felt far more connected to him then she probably should be.

After she retracted her chakra she looked at him with sad eyes. He sat up and put his shirt back on without saying a word.

"I told you it was no use. There is nothing you can do." He mumbled before taking her in his arms and forcing her to sit on his lap. She sat sideways and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Fluid will continue to fill your lungs, I'm not going to be completely useless. By expelling that fluid from your lungs the pain you suffer won't be nearly as bad as it has been. I will do everything I can to make this as painless as possible for you." She said adamantly.

"You aren't going to take no for an answer are you?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"Nope." She admitted before standing up. "This isn't going to be pleasant though." She admitted grabbing a garbage can from beside the bedside table and handing it to him. He took it with a confused look on his face.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I'm going to expel the liquid in your lungs and when it comes out it needs to go into that bucket." She positioned herself behind him and placed one hand on his back where his lungs were located. "This needs to be precise, Itachi. Do exactly as I say and this will work."

"Okay." He nodded. After telling him to position his mouth over the bucket she let her chakra enter his body again and let it seep into his lungs.

"You need to cough as hard as you can immediately when I give you the order. Not a second more or less." She said seriously. He nodded letting her know he understood. After positioning her chakra perfectly she gave the order for him to cough and he did. She pushed the fluid up and out of his lungs at that moment and it came out of his mouth and landed into the bucket.

Itachi began to gag at the nasty taste of the fluid.

"There is still a small amount left, so one more time." Sakura said softly. Itachi grimaced but nodded.

After the last of the fluid was out and Itachi had taken a drink of water to get rid of the taste he turned to Sakura and let a tiny smile show.

"Wow, I feel a lot better now." He said in amazement "I can actually take a deep breath." Sakura leaned down still situated behind him and kissed his temple.

"I'm glad I could help." She murmured truthfully.

***flashback end***

She had just clipped her medic and ninja tool pouch around her waist and was about to walk out the door when a small piece of paper on Itachi's pillow caught her eye. The dread in her stomach began to feel heavier as she grabbed it in her hand and opened it slowly.

_My dearest Sakura,_

_I'm sorry you had to wake up to my absence this morning. Please understand this was the only way. I had to do this. I know this is going to hurt you and trust me if there were any other way I would have taken it. You mean so much more to me than I thought anyone possibly could. _

_Sasuke was spotted in the immediate area yesterday and I have gone to intercept his path. This is the way it was and always needed to be Sakura. Sasuke needs to be the one to end my life. If I went back now everything I did in the past before meeting you would have been a waste. The monster of hate that I created in my brother needs to be let go and the only way for that to happen is if he gets his revenge._

_Although I won't blame you if you do; please don't hate me. Also please don't follow me. I've come to understand you well enough to know every instinct in your body is telling you to come and stop me, to save me. Don't. You said it yourself I only have a couple of weeks left anyways, so what does it matter? It's obvious at this point I won't be coming back, so now is my chance to write down everything I couldn't voice before._

_When I met you, you turned my whole world around. I never thought in a million years someone could love me the way you did. You let me into your life and made me feel human again. After what I did I felt like I would never deserve anyone's love. But you made me believe I deserved yours and for that I am forever grateful. _

_I never said it enough, but I will love you until my last breath. My biggest regret in this life is that I didn't have more time to be with you. To live with you, to love you and to start a family with you._

_This is the end of the line for me but you still have your whole life ahead of you. Go find a man that deserves you, have the family I could never give you and be happy. I'm not asking you to forget about me but if you feel that would make your life easier by all means forget my entire existence._

_Please live on my cherry blossom and know that it was you who made what was left of my life; the best it could have been._

_Forever yours,_

_Itachi_

Tears of anger mixed with sadness began to well in Sakura's eyes as she crumpled the note in her hand. She gasped and immediately smoothed out the paper after realizing this is all she had left of him.

_'No!'_ she thought, angrily stuffing the note into her pocket _'He won't leave me like this.' _Without hesitation she ran out of the door and down the stairs. Pushing her way outside she took off in a dead run in a random direction. She looked up in time to see a huge cluster of dark angry looking clouds forming a little ways ahead of her. Lightning flashed violently in that one specific area and Sakura instinctively knew she was headed in the right direction.

000

Her lungs burned painfully from exertion. She had never run as fast as she was right now. Never before did she have the determination to push herself way beyond her limits and she couldn't bring herself to care about how hard she was working her body. She had been through worse pain than the sharp ache shooting up her calve muscles. All she knew was that she couldn't stop, not when _his _life was on the line. God how could she have been so stupid to not see the signs last night!? He was spelling everything out for her and she just shrugged it off as him being unusual. Sakura paused in thought as she took to the trees, jumping from branch to branch pushing herself even harder.

He had been distant yet at the same time overly affectionate, if that was even possible. Last night had been different.

***Flashback starts***

"Are you going to eat, Itachi?" Sakura asked quietly as she watched him move the food around his plate with his chopsticks. He shrugged not looking at her and slowly took a bite. Sakura frowned but continued her dinner.

About an hour and a half later Sakura was sitting on the bed reading a book. She had been feeling Itachi's stare for quite some time now and glanced up, offering him a smile

"What are you staring at?" She asked curiously, cocking her head to the side a little. He looked away and mumbled 'nothing' before going back to reading the scroll in his hands. Sakura didn't miss the slight downturn of his lips as he frowned when he had been caught. A frown of her own appeared on her face as she began to worry. Why was he acting so quiet? He had barely spoken a word since they woke up this morning. Sakura swung her legs over the edge of the bed before speaking again, making sure to hide her worry.

"Should we start the pain treatment?" She suggested thinking maybe that's why he was acting strange.

"No." He answered shortly. Sakura frowned again

"You're not in pain?" she asked confused

"Hn, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He said looking in her direction; forcing a smile. The fact that it was obviously forced made Sakura's worry skyrocket.

"Itachi…" she whispered quietly, it was loud enough for him to hear and he glanced up to see her worried face.

"I'm okay." He said again "Really, I am." She nodded deciding to drop it for now. She stood and made her way toward him. She placed both her hands on his shoulders and he immediately stiffened before relaxing again. He reached across his chest to place his hand on top of hers softly. She leaned down and began to pepper kisses along his neck, nipping a little with her teeth as she went. Itachi unconsciously moved his head to the side to allow her more access.

"How about we go relieve some of this tension in your body?" she suggested thinking maybe a little love making session would fix his mood. He hesitated a moment before nodding and standing up. He immediately gathered her in his arms and pulled her close easily capturing her warm lips with his own.

Sakura sensed the urgency in the kiss and it made her wonder what was really going on with him. He grabbed at the bottom of her shirt and removed it in one swift pull leaving her only in a bra and pants. She attempted to kiss him again but he pushed her back slightly. She was about to ask what was wrong until the look on his face stopped her. He looked sad almost but she could tell he was trying to hide it.

"Itachi…?" without another word he pulled her to him tightly and buried his face in her short pink hair. Sakura felt him inhale shakily before his grip tightened around her even more. Sakura let her arms wrap around his waist tightly; sensing that he needed comfort for some reason. After a few moments Sakura attempted to pull away only to be stopped

"Stay, just…let me hold you." Itachi murmured his voice slightly muffled due to his face still being buried in her hair. Sakura relented and let him hold her a while longer.

"Itachi…" she started quietly "What's the matter? You're acting strange."

Wordlessly Itachi guided her to the bed and resumed their earlier actions.

***flashback end***

Itachi never did answer Sakura's questions but she felt a shift in the atmosphere when they had made love last night. She could sense all the emotions Itachi could never voice wash over her in the way he would touch her. For lack of a better explanation and knowing what she does now, it was like it was his last night on earth and he wanted to treasure every moment of the night with her and only her.

As she got closer to where she knew the two men would be the skies opened up and began to pour down on her. She tried to ignore the rain and the bright flashing lightening as she pushed herself faster. She couldn't be too late, she would never forgive herself if she was too late.

Her eyes caught the black flames that surrounded the forest around her and at the last minute jumped over a log that sizzled angrily barely missing the flames she knew came from Itachi. Amaterasu. He had shown her once what it was; a black flame that devoured the thing it touched until it turned to ash. Only the person with the ability to wield it could control it. Her chest tightened in fear and the dread in the pit of her stomach doubled in size seeming to weigh her down. Why did she feel like she was already too late? Why did her heart ache painfully the closer she got the battle. She couldn't lose him! She still had over a week to be with him. She pushed her aching legs faster and while still gasping for breath she burst through the clearing only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight before her, she was border lining on hyperventilating at this point. Sasuke stood with his back against a wall his eyes wide as Itachi slowly approached him. Reaching up with one hand Itachi poked Sasuke in the forehead once before dropping his arm and lurching forward. His head hit the wall first before he fell completely to his knees and then onto his back beside a still standing Sasuke. Sakura's whole world seemed to stop, her heart squeezed painfully tight in her chest and her breath came out in a choked gasp. Her legs began to move without her knowledge.

A horrified scream pierced the roar of the rain; causing Sasuke to turn toward the noise and look up only to see his old teammate running toward him as if her life depended on it. Confused he was unsure if he should defend himself or not. His confusion doubled when she reached him and dropped to her knees directly beside…Itachi?"

"Oh no. No, no, no. Itachi!" she cried as green chakra glowed around her shaking hands. She placed them to his chest willing him to come back to her, she couldn't lose him yet. A weak hand grabbed her wrist causing her to stop and look up in shock at her lover's face. He held a hint of a smile as he looked at her.

"Sakura-"he started before coughing violently; causing blood to spray out of his mouth. Sakura immediately went back to healing him only to have him make a grunt of disapproval. "Should…have known you wouldn't…listen." He said his voice barely above a whisper. He gripped her wrist tighter "Stop. Let me die." He wheezed weakly.

"No, I have to save you!" she cried shaking her head back and forth aggressively.

"Sakura-"he began, coughing again "Stop. I was going…to die anyway." He said his breathing laboured. "Let…me go." He paused his chest heaving with the effort to squeeze the words out

"No!" She cried her eyes watering uncontrollably "I can't lose you, Itachi." He smiled softly another stream of blood exited the corner of his mouth

"Just...stay here…with me, please." He said. Tears poured from Sakura's eyes as she failed to hide the anguish she was feeling at this very moment. Slowly she nodded adhering unwillingly to his wishes. Moving herself to lay down on the ground next to him she nuzzled her face into his warm neck and continued to cry. She raised one hand to brush his wet bangs away from his battered face before pulling up and placing a soft kiss against his blood stained lips.

"I love you, I love you so much." She cried. He weakly lifted his hand to brush one finger across her cheek; again smiling as best as he could. She read it loud and clear, he loved her too. Suddenly his breath hitched before slowly fading his arm falling limp and his eyes slowly closed. Sakura gasped, her eyes wide in horror. She checked him over with her chakra and came the horrible realization that he was indeed gone, forever.

Without a thought she sat up and gathered his limp, lifeless body into her arms and screamed loudly into his chest. She rocked them both from side to side. No, he was gone. She failed to save him. True he didn't want to be saved but the guilt was there all the same. She had never loved anyone the way she loved him. She will never love that way again. Her heart was cracking, the pain in her chest was agonizing and it made her hold him that much tighter to her. The pain seemed to spread throughout the rest of her body like a poison, the only poison she couldn't treat. She never knew someone could care so much for another person. She never even came close to caring about Sasuke like this. Clearly Itachi was on a whole other level than his little brother in Sakura's eyes.

Shell shocked at the series of events that just unfolded in front of his eyes Sasuke began to grit his teeth in anger. He wasn't stupid, clearly Sakura had been secretly together with his brother. The man wasn't ready for the sting of betrayal that shot through him at the thought of her with that murderer.

"How dare you!?" He asked suddenly causing the pink haired woman to flinch and set Itachi's body down on the watery ground. She stood before turning toward the man who had taken away so much from her, who had not only broken her heart once but twice. The second time even worse than the first.

"How dare I!?" she asked incredulous moving toward him. Her eyes were puffy and swollen and her nose was red. She forced her tears to stop as she glared at the younger Uchiha before her. "How dare _you,_ Sasuke!" she cried stopping inches away from him.

"You betrayed me! You whored yourself to my brother. The man who murdered my family and ruined my life!" Sasuke was too weak from the fight to dodge the woman's punch and it connected harshly with his jaw making his head snap to the side. The fury in her eyes simmered dangerously as she spoke in an eerily calm voice

"First of all. _You _betrayed _me _first! Secondly you know nothing of my relationship with Itachi. He is not the murderer you believe him to be. On the contrary he loved you more than anyone ever could in this world." She paused staring at his aggravatingly impassive face. Her voice changed from angry to sad when she continued. "This is the second time you have broken me, Sasuke. I hope you're happy. You won, you killed your brother and you killed me." She finished looking down.

She abruptly turned away from him and back over to Itachi, her breath hitching as the brunt of the situation hit her again and tears pricked her eyes. Willing them away she lifted Itachi over her shoulders grunting slightly at the added weight. She knew she wouldn't make it far before she would need to rest but she sure as hell wasn't leaving him behind.

"Come find me when you are ready to know the truth about the night of the massacre." She mumbled before beginning her trek toward the tree line; her movements slower due to the weight draped over her shoulders.

"Wait you're not coming back to the village with me?" he asked actually sounding a little surprised

"No, I refuse to go back and protect a village I no longer have faith in." she stopped walking suddenly and turned around "Tell Naruto…that I'm sorry." Sakura murmured her voice beginning to tremble again before turning around and disappearing into the trees.

As she walked she was mindful of the black flames that seemed to continue to spread further into the forest and made sure she stayed away from them. The rain had stopped but she felt cold. Her entire body felt numb. She knew it wasn't just from the rain. The weight on her shoulders seemed to grow heavier the more she realized just how changed her life was now. The love of her life was dead, she had abandoned the village she used to call home and she left her friends behind. She knew from this point on, she will be known as a rogue ninja, just like Itachi had been. She grimaced at the thought of how Itachi would have reacted if he knew, she knew he would be furious with her.

Her life from here on out would never be the same. Just how different it would be though; even she didn't know.

0000

_"After a half a days' journey I was lucky enough to come across this place." Sakura said pointing toward the small house behind them that __Rikō had grown up in. "It's also where I buried your father, as you well know." She continued before glancing at the headstone she had created all those years ago. The boy nodded looking at it as well. It had the leaf village symbol above his name. Underneath his name was the year he was born and the year he died._

_"When you found out you were pregnant with me how did you react?" he asked eliciting a short laugh out of his mother._

_"Angry." She stated simply "Angry and sad. Not because I was pregnant at 17 years old or that I was going to have Itachi's child. I felt that way because I was alone in all of it and Itachi would never know the feeling of being a father; of creating a life with me. I was also angry because you would grow up without knowing him. That upset me the most. But I was also overwhelmed with happiness that I actually wasn't alone, he had given me you to keep me company, to give me purpose." This made __Rikō smile slightly before moving onto his next question._

_"When did Uncle Sasuke come into the picture?" _

_"You were a little over a year old when he showed up…"_

0000

Sakura could sense him before he had made it anywhere near the door. It had been a little over a year and a half since she had last seen the man. To say she was confused and maybe even a little scared was an understatement. What would his reaction be when he saw her little boy? There was no mistaking that he was an Uchiha, so lying was out of the question.

"Rikō!" Sakura called immediately. The child looked up at his mother curiously from his spot on the floor. Sakura quickly made her way over to him and picked him up. She scooped up some of his blocks in her free hand and made her way toward her bedroom. She placed him on the floor and handed him the blocks. "Mommy will be right back." She promised before pressing a soft kiss to the crown of his head and leaving the room.

By the time Sakura had made it back into the living room Sasuke was standing there. His black hair the same style as always; spiky at the back with long bangs framing his pale face. He was dressed in Shinobi attire from the Leaf village and he was currently looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Sakura asked raising an eyebrow. Sasuke shrugged.

"You didn't make it easy to find you." He answered shortly. Sakura sighed

"I hope you aren't here to take me back to the village, Sasuke." She said her arms folding across her chest.

"I'm not."

"Then why are you here?" she asked again

"For the truth." He stated looking at her seriously. Sakura's arms dropped to her sides and her lips thinned into a straight line as understanding took over her.

"Oh, okay." She started as she walked into the kitchen to make some tea for both of them, this could end up being a long night.

After the tea was done she entered the living room area to see Sasuke seated on the couch looking rather uncomfortable. "Where should I begin…" she said trailing off as she poured tea into both cups before offering one to the man sitting next to her.

"For starters. What took you so long to come to me?"

"I was punished for my…previous crimes by being contained in the village for a year. After that, like I said earlier, you didn't make it easy to find you." He said easily as he took a sip from the cup Sakura had given him.

"Itachi told me a lot of things while we were together…" Sakura began not missing the scowl that immediately shadowed Sasuke's face at the mention of their relationship. "He told me that the night of the massacre was all an order given to him by the village-" Sasuke's scowl deepened when he interrupted her

"And you believe that?" he asked incredulous.

"Your brother had no reason to lie to me Sasuke. I told you to come and find me when you are ready to know the truth. Being ready means being willing to listen and keep an open mind." She paused a glare of her own making an appearance on her face "Keep in mind Itachi would be furious to know I'm telling you this at all. This secret was supposed to die along with him."

"Hn." Sasuke grumbled. Sakura took this as a sign to continue and did.

"The reason I believe him, Sasuke is because the love he had for you was unexplainable. He planned every detail of your life from the moment he killed the clan to the moment he died by_ your _hand. All of what he did was to protect you, his little brother." she sighed before continuing.

"Danzo was the main culprit in all this, as well as the other two village elders. Danzo was the one to give Itachi the official order. He gave him an ultimatum; either he annihilate his clan and spare you as the only survivor. Or he can die alongside his clan and you would also die. He took the first option purely so you could live-"Sasuke had changed his expression at this point and Sakura could see the blatant uncertainty that covered his face.

"That doesn't explain why the clan needed to die in the first place." He stated the unreadable mask back in place.

Sakura then went on to explain the Uchiha's plan to take over the village. Which in turn would start a war, one Itachi would and did prevent at all costs.

"Why did he lie to me and make me hate him?" Sasuke asked. Before Sakura could answer the man's eyes widened to the size of saucers and his mouth dropped open. Shocked at the uncharacteristic display; Sakura was about to ask what was wrong when she realized he wasn't looking at her…but beside her.

"Momma." The cheerful voice of her son reached her ears the moment his small hands touched her arm. She froze not ready for this meeting yet.

"Rikō…" she whispered quickly turning and picking the child up "What is it?" she asked noticing how the child curiously looked over at a still shocked, but slightly more composed, Sasuke. Rikō turned toward Sakura and pointed at his mouth

"Om, nom, nom." He said making Sakura smile. He was hungry. Deciding to get it over with and get everything out in the open Sakura turned toward Sasuke who had yet to say a word.

"Sweetie, this is your Uncle Sasuke. Sasuke, this is your nephew Rikō." She said softly. Being the outgoing child he was Rikō reached toward Sasuke with his arms open and tiny fingers grasping at air. "He wants you to hold him, Sasuke." Sasuke gulped audibly before hesitantly grabbing at the child and holding him at arm length.

"You and…Itachi?" he asked his eyes still wider than normal as he looked at the child in his hands.

"Yes." She paused and relaxed when Sasuke sighed loudly before he sat Rikō down on his lap. "To answer your earlier question. Your brother lied to you because he felt like he needed to be judged for his actions. He felt that by lying to you and giving you a goal to come and face him one day would help you get stronger. He needed you, his only brother to be the one to judge him and punish him for his crimes."

After about an hour of Sasuke casually staring at the child and continuing his and Sakura's conversation; Sakura took Rikō quickly feeding him a snack and putting him to bed.

"Please don't deflect from the village Sasuke. I know that's what you're thinking and it's not what your brother wished. We both would be defying his wishes if you left to. I can never go back, because of Rikō, but you still can. Please at least do one thing Itachi wanted. Fulfill his final request." Sakura murmured after returning to the living room. Sasuke nodded

"There is a lot I need to think about now. But I think I will stay, for now at least." He said grabbing the blanket and pillow Sakura had handed him.

"Sasuke, can I make one request?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"hn." He grunted urging her to go on

"Rikō doesn't have a father figure in his life. Itachi isn't here to teach him anything. I was hoping maybe you could train him when he gets older. Teach him fire style and all the things I can't. I can't advise him on the sharingan. There is no guarantee he will inherit the kekei genkai but I feel like he will." Sasuke seemed to think over this for a moment before nodding.

"Yes I will train him."

0000

_"and train you he did." Sakura said with a laugh. "He wasn't easy on you was he?" _

_"No, definitely not. But I'm glad he wasn't. I'm as strong as I am today because of it." Rikō responded with a grin that rivaled that of his father's. Sakura's heart hurt every time he did something so similar to Itachi but at the same time she was happy she wasn't alone, she was happy she had her son with her._

_"You have definitely surpassed me, at this point." Sakura said with a grin of her own._

_"Really? What about dad have I surpassed him?" he asked an excited edge to his tone. Sakura smiled warmly_

_"No not quite. Your father was an exceptional shinobi, you still have a lot of work to do if you want to surpass him." She stood suddenly, Rikō following suit. "Beat your Uncle and then you will be 95% of the way to surpassing Itachi." She said with a laugh. Rikō activated his sharingan a determined gleam in his eye_

_"I accept that challenge, mother." He said with another grin. Sakura stood on her tip toes and placed her hand to the back of Rikō's head pulling him down slightly so their foreheads rested against each other. Sakura stared straight into her sons red and black eyes and smiled warmly._

_"Not only am I profoundly proud of you, my son. Your father would have been too, I know it." She said before kissing him soundly on the cheek. Rikō smiled and pulled her in for a tight hug_

_"Thanks mom." He whispered._

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**There you have it. All done :) I hope you found this enjoyable and I apologize for any mistakes this was not beta-ed. **

**I would really appreciate any feedback you would be willing to give. I enjoy hearing what you think about it :) so please review! **

**I have so much stuff in the works right now I hope I get a bunch of stuff out to you guys soon!**


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